Umbrella rib and stretcher



(No Model.)

J. L. OONAWAY. UMBRELLA RIB AND STRETOHER.

No. 599,416. Patented Feb. 22,1898.

WITNESSES PATEN FFlCE.

JOHN L. CONAWAY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

UMBRELLA RIB AND STRETCHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 599,416, dated February 22, 1898. Application filed July 28, 1897. Serial No. 646,177. (No model.)

To 00% whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN L. OONAWAY, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia,State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Umbrella Ribs and Stretchers, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in ribs and stretchers for umbrellas and kindred articles, and has for its object not only to strengthen the said parts and the frame, but to enable the said frame to fold closer and eliminate all danger of tearing or otherwise damaging the cover and avoid piecing of the rib and the employment of sleeves and other appliances for the bearing of the pivots or axes of the stretchers.

Figures 1 and 2 represent side elevations of an umbrella rib and stretcher embodying my invention. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal section thereof. Fig. at represents a transverse section on line m 00, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 rep resents a sectional view on the line y y of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in the figures.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a rib formed of a strip of metal or other suitable material formed partly into a U or trough shaped section or what may be termed channeled and partly into tubular form.

B designates a stretcher composed of two sections B and B which are formed at their adjacent ends with eyes 0, through which is passed the pivotal pin D, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, the ends of said pin being riveted or headed in place. These sections are preferably formed of solid metal and cylindrical in shape, particularly section B, or they may be otherwise, as of the U or trough shape, particularly section 13 and this section B is fiattened and eyed, as shown at E, in the usual manner, for the purpose of attaching the stretcher to the runner. The section B is placed as a stationary piece or fixture within within the said channel. The upper end of the rib is flattened and eyed, as well as the end of the section B of the stretcher, as shown at F, Fig. 3. While this form is preferred, it would not depart from the essence of my invention to avoid extending the stretchersection B the full length of this half of the rib and not flattening and eyeing the said stretcher-section. The result of the former construction is that the rib and said stretchersection B are practically one and the same piece. The section B (or the stretcher proper) is left free to swing as usual, and when the frame or the umbrella is closed the said section, being preferably of the same dimension as the channel of the rib, settles into and fits snugly within said channel, as shown in Fig. 4.

I'Ieretofore a stretcher has been formed of a single piece or section which is pivotally attached directly to the rib by a pin or eyejoint. For the purpose of more securely holding the stretcher, as well as strengthen ing the rib at this point, it has been usual to affix a cleat or sleeve to the rib or some other means adopted, which rendered the rib bulky and unsightly and very apt to tear or damage the covering of the umbrella. To avoid this tearing by the junction, the same has been covered with suitable material, or, more properly speaking, ragged. Another detriment of the frames now in use is the difficulty of securing an entire disappearance of the stretcher at the junction within the rib and at the same time strengthen the frame. By my construction these difficulties are overcome. By making the stretcher in two sections, sinking and inclosing one section into a portion of the rib, flattening the end of the rib and stretcher thus inclosed, the said rib is not only very materially strengthened, but it avoids the necessity of attach ing the stretcher proper directly to the rib at all, and no junction whatever is observable. No ragging or strengthening of said joint is needed. The cover of the umbrella is free from danger from such a source and the probability of the rib and stretcher becoming parted or the connections dipping is reduced to a minimum.

As has been stated, the rod or section B is inclosed throughout its entire length in the tubular portion of the rib, this constituting the means of connecting the stretcher proper with the rib, while it also reinforces the latter, since the tubular portion of said rib acts as a sheath or wrapper, having the section B within it as a core, the reinforcing effect of which is evident. Again, the section B and tubular portion of the rib have coincident eyes with which the collar of ordinary construction (not shown) may be connected, thus assisting to prevent any possible shifting of the core or section B in the tubular portion of the rib, whereby the strength of the reinforced rib is preserved.

- By constructing the other section of the stretcher of cylindrical metal no larger or of I greater diameter than the channel of the rib the said stretcher is enabled to entirely disappear within said channel and the umbrella rendered capable of being tightly closed or rolled into a small compass.

Attention is directed to the fact that one section of a stretcher is held by the corresponding portion of the rib as the means for connecting the stretcher with. said rib, thus avoiding the use of a sleeve and piercing of the rib for the connection of the stretcher with the rib, as heretofore practiced, it being also noticed that thepivot or axis of the sections of the stretchers are inclosed by the adjacent portion of the rib and practically concealed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. As a new article of manufacture, a rib for an umbrella or kindred article, formed partly of a tubular and partly of a channeled portion, a rod or section inclosed in said tubular portion and a stretcher pivoted to said 7 rod, the joint between said stretcher and rod being located within said channeled portion -so that said stretcher will lie in said chan- JOHN L. CONAVVAY.

Witnesses:

JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, WM. 0. WIEDERsHEIM. 

